There's an intriguing war going on in New Zealand sport at the moment and it's fascinating to watch it unfold.

It's a battle that's not playing out on the field, instead it's a showdown of officialdom, ideas, marketing nous and I'm sure a touch of ego tossed in from both parties.

Rugby versus league, Wellington versus Auckland - take your pick.

I'm talking about the tug-of-war between the IRB rugby sevens tournament in Wellington on February 8 and 9 and the inaugural NRL Nines league tournament to be played in Auckland a week later on February 15 and 16.

Publicly the two organisations are not entering into a war of words but it's quite obvious there's a scrap going on as to which one can dominate the sporting market at that time of year.

They are competing for spectators and media interest and the press releases from both sides in my email inbox highlight just how hard they are trying to push their case at the moment.

Yesterday Sevens Wellington issued a release saying that from today 3000 tickets will be available for those that just want to attend one day of the two-day tournament, instead of having to buy a two-day pass.

''Tournament general manager Marty Donoghue said due to a high demand from fans, a limited number of one-day tickets would be available from Ticketek as of [today],'' the statement said.

Call me cynical but there's a whole heap of spin attached to that message.

I would suggest tickets are not in as high demand as they are making out - in fact, the organisers are simply looking for a different way to ensure it is still a sellout with interest lacking compared to previous years.

They will still most likely achieve that sellout by the time the tournament rolls around but it has been a much tougher job for them this year.

Every year when the Wellington Sevens tickets went on sale in September the story would centre around how many minutes it took for them to be all snapped up.

If you missed that 15-minute window it would then come down to whether you knew anyone who could get their hands on some of the tickets that did not go on sale to the general public.

It is four months on from when the tickets went on general sale and they are still pushing sales.

It could be just one heck of a coincidence but it seems the instigation of the NRL Nines has had an effect and they are going head to head.

Some groups who are looking for a weekend away at that time of year are giving the Auckland event a go this year it would seem.

What will be interesting is which of the tournaments grip the country in the long term.

What Wellington has is a history of success in attracting people to their event and showing them a good time, while the NRL Nines is still a baby as far as sporting events go.

Wellingtonhas set the bar high.However, what the NRL Nines has on its side is star power.

You can either go watch, say, Warriors playmaker Shaun Johnson run the cutter in the NRL Nines tournament or DJ Forbes doing the business for the New Zealand sevens team.

In between watching Forbes and his troops play you might have to sit through Kenya versus Spain while after Johnson's antics you could be watching the Melbourne Storm take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

When you factor in star appeal it leans heavily the way of the Auckland event.

What will probably determine whether the NRL Nines continues to be a success in years to come and pulls people to Auckland is just how the nine-a-side format plays out.

There are some doubters as to whether nine-a-side rugby league will be the exciting spectacle that it is being marketed as but only time will tell on that front.

Mt smart, you posted an interesting article on the union sevens struggling to sell tickets. Are union fans being attracted to the nines weekend or is it a case of general sports fans who would normally attend the sevens giving the NRL nines a go?

"Rugby League is rugby in the simplest form in the sense that it's about great defence, great tackling technique, good handling, good passing, catching and great kicking."

I am not 100% sure, i think Eden Park holds 48 thousand, with the extra 1600 would bring the total to 49,600, so over 2 days is nearly 100 thousand,,,,, 99 thousand plus to be exact.

I would imagine that Dick Smith who is sponsoring the event, plus freebies and maybe charity teams giveaways and other promised tickets might have been held back. This is why 44 thousand is classified a sellout.

Not to mention the grounds sponsors boxes which would all be full i would say.

The 2 day event is televised fully on Foxsport Australia, Sky NZ ? i think, and Premier in the UK.

Happy days.

Origin this year is 2 games in Queensland suncorp and one in Sydney. So 190 thousand sell-out their as well.

2014 is shaping up as a bottler already.

The World Club Challenge will sell-out as well i would say.

Even trail matches are selling out. Things are looking good down under.

Mt smart, you posted an interesting article on the union sevens struggling to sell tickets. Are union fans being attracted to the nines weekend or is it a case of general sports fans who would normally attend the sevens giving the NRL nines a go?

It's both.

I work for a big organisation and have taken a keen interest in my colleagues thoughts about the nines ( seven thousand Employess ) ........general sports fans are interested in the event from a ' Big show ' point of view ( the Nines Marketing drive here has gone into overdrive...for Aucklanders it's a must see event )........and in NZ there is little seperation between Union fans and ' general sports fans,,,,,,,a bit like asking about Muslim sects in Iran lol

New Zealanders , Aucklanders especially are guilty of sitting back and waitning to see if an event is ' popular ' before committing to it.....I know of at least twelve people at workk that are planning on sitting online when those extra seats come on sale and going like mad things to try to snap them up before they are gone.

Based on how these things go.....the 2015 Nines will sell out within minutes after this years precendent.

The organisers are projecting the same effect from Australian fans ( they are targeting 20,000 Tickets for Aussies next year to set aside based on aticipated demand )

I am not 100% sure, i think Eden Park holds 48 thousand, with the extra 1600 would bring the total to 49,600, so over 2 days is nearly 100 thousand,,,,, 99 thousand plus to be exact.

I would imagine that Dick Smith who is sponsoring the event, plus freebies and maybe charity teams giveaways and other promised tickets might have been held back. This is why 44 thousand is classified a sellout.

Not to mention the grounds sponsors boxes which would all be full i would say.

The 2 day event is televised fully on Foxsport Australia, Sky NZ ? i think, and Premier in the UK.

Happy days.

Origin this year is 2 games in Queensland suncorp and one in Sydney. So 190 thousand sell-out their as well.

2014 is shaping up as a bottler already.

The World Club Challenge will sell-out as well i would say.

Even trail matches are selling out. Things are looking good down under.

.

Sky sport NZ correct.

44 thousand regular seats , the new seats are being added due to demand ( that was being kept up the organisers sleve for the lead up week...they originally thought it would take that long to force the extra temporary seating....your numbers are pretty much spot on )

You're quite right in your earlier post about the Warriors using their winning U20's squad heavily in this tournament here's the team with some added bits from me ( excuse the repittion )

Some of those names will be un familiar to TotalRL Fans

What the Warriors have done is basically name the fastest players in the entire club.

This is a post I drafted after seeing the Warriors team.

I've posted it on some other club websites I belong to :

The ' no names on the Warriors list there ( from the U20's ) speak of the Warriors tactics.

1) Solomone Kata ....rumored to be one of the Franchises fastest player

2) David Fusitua ....rumored to be one of the franchises fastest player

3) Glen Fisi'ahi....formerly touted as the Warriors fastest player ( before the names above joined the club ).

4) Sam Tomkins.....rumored to be the fastest fullback and possibly in the same speed bracket as the above

5) Shaun Johnson....undisputed fastest Half in the NRL

6 ) Sebastian Ikihihifo , 2nd fastest second rower at the Warriors

7 ) Jason Bukuya unknown but Quick for a secound rower

8 ) Dominique Peroux Fastest Secound rower at the Warriors

9 ) Charlie Gubb , Fastest Prop at the Warriors

10 ) Suia Matangi , hardest running prop at the Warriors

11 ) Carlos tuimavave , fastest Ultility back at the Warriors

12 ) Sione Lousi the only player who breaks the mold in terms of fastest / hardest running

Tuimoala Lolohea is gonna rip it up...he's got a huge step and speed to match...

Yes he does.

The Warriors have taken the attitude of out attacking the rest of the competition, by that measure they will be potentially the most exciting team ( at least one of ) to watch...there will be no shortage of Try's.

it's insane to think Tomkins will be just one of a collection of length of the field evasive high speed machines in that line up....it really is a team of greyhounds.

Looks like being a big year for league down under with a sellout 9's tournament kicking it all off, closely followed by the WCC and finished off with the 4nations. I can't wait rugby league in the spotlight with major club and international tournaments, how it should be.

44 thousand regular seats , the new seats are being added due to demand ( that was being kept up the organisers sleve for the lead up week...they originally thought it would take that long to force the extra temporary seating....your numbers are pretty much spot on )

You're quite right in your earlier post about the Warriors using their winning U20's squad heavily in this tournament here's the team with some added bits from me ( excuse the repittion )

Some of those names will be un familiar to TotalRL Fans
What the Warriors have done is basically name the fastest players in the entire club.

This is a post I drafted after seeing the Warriors team.
I've posted it on some other club websites I belong to :
The ' no names on the Warriors list there ( from the U20's ) speak of the Warriors tactics.
1) Solomone Kata ....rumored to be one of the Franchises fastest player
2) David Fusitua ....rumored to be one of the franchises fastest player
3) Glen Fisi'ahi....formerly touted as the Warriors fastest player ( before the names above joined the club ).
4) Sam Tomkins.....rumored to be the fastest fullback and possibly in the same speed bracket as the above
5) Shaun Johnson....undisputed fastest Half in the NRL
6 ) Sebastian Ikihihifo , 2nd fastest second rower at the Warriors
7 ) Jason Bukuya unknown but Quick for a secound rower
8 ) Dominique Peroux Fastest Secound rower at the Warriors
9 ) Charlie Gubb , Fastest Prop at the Warriors
10 ) Suia Matangi , hardest running prop at the Warriors
11 ) Carlos tuimavave , fastest Ultility back at the Warriors
12 ) Sione Lousi the only player who breaks the mold in terms of fastest / hardest running
13 ) Konrad Hurrell hardest Running back at the Warriors
14 ) Tuimoala Lolohea , secound fastest Half / fastest Center at the Warriors
15 ) Raymond Faitala Mariner , touted as the next Sonny Bill....just a kid ......fast secound rower with all of Williams skill set ....not the NRL work load / fitness / size experience etc.
16 ) Ngani Laumape ....first grader.....debut season last year....robust center from a Rugby union background, average speed for an outside back ....very well rounded player.

That's a great squad with a lot of pace, power and skill, especially with the likes of tomkins, Johnson, hurrell, fisi'ahi etc. what's the deal with Carlos tuimavave? Has he been injured because he was touted as a great prospect but hasn't really kicked on like Johnson and hurrell.

That's a great squad with a lot of pace, power and skill, especially with the likes of tomkins, Johnson, hurrell, fisi'ahi etc. what's the deal with Carlos tuimavave? Has he been injured because he was touted as a great prospect but hasn't really kicked on like Johnson and hurrell.

Sub par defence is the main issue.

Matt Elliot really rated him last year , unfortunate comparissons to Laurie Daley were made....( Daley is used as nick name for Carlos by cynical Forum posters since ).

Carlos has had one of those chequered NRL introductions , multi-talented = playing out of position , not settling.

Many feel this will be his last year to make it because of the quality of Young guns Like Tuimoala Lolohea coming through.

Fisi'ahi was in the same boat last year , make or break time , glad to say he made it.

There's an intriguing war going on in New Zealand sport at the moment and it's fascinating to watch it unfold.

It's a battle that's not playing out on the field, instead it's a showdown of officialdom, ideas, marketing nous and I'm sure a touch of ego tossed in from both parties.

Rugby versus league, Wellington versus Auckland - take your pick.

I'm talking about the tug-of-war between the IRB rugby sevens tournament in Wellington on February 8 and 9 and the inaugural NRL Nines league tournament to be played in Auckland a week later on February 15 and 16.

Publicly the two organisations are not entering into a war of words but it's quite obvious there's a scrap going on as to which one can dominate the sporting market at that time of year.

They are competing for spectators and media interest and the press releases from both sides in my email inbox highlight just how hard they are trying to push their case at the moment.

Yesterday Sevens Wellington issued a release saying that from today 3000 tickets will be available for those that just want to attend one day of the two-day tournament, instead of having to buy a two-day pass.

''Tournament general manager Marty Donoghue said due to a high demand from fans, a limited number of one-day tickets would be available from Ticketek as of [today],'' the statement said.

Call me cynical but there's a whole heap of spin attached to that message.

I would suggest tickets are not in as high demand as they are making out - in fact, the organisers are simply looking for a different way to ensure it is still a sellout with interest lacking compared to previous years.

They will still most likely achieve that sellout by the time the tournament rolls around but it has been a much tougher job for them this year.

Every year when the Wellington Sevens tickets went on sale in September the story would centre around how many minutes it took for them to be all snapped up.

If you missed that 15-minute window it would then come down to whether you knew anyone who could get their hands on some of the tickets that did not go on sale to the general public.

It is four months on from when the tickets went on general sale and they are still pushing sales.

It could be just one heck of a coincidence but it seems the instigation of the NRL Nines has had an effect and they are going head to head.

Some groups who are looking for a weekend away at that time of year are giving the Auckland event a go this year it would seem.

What will be interesting is which of the tournaments grip the country in the long term.

What Wellington has is a history of success in attracting people to their event and showing them a good time, while the NRL Nines is still a baby as far as sporting events go.

Wellingtonhas set the bar high.However, what the NRL Nines has on its side is star power.

You can either go watch, say, Warriors playmaker Shaun Johnson run the cutter in the NRL Nines tournament or DJ Forbes doing the business for the New Zealand sevens team.

In between watching Forbes and his troops play you might have to sit through Kenya versus Spain while after Johnson's antics you could be watching the Melbourne Storm take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

When you factor in star appeal it leans heavily the way of the Auckland event.

What will probably determine whether the NRL Nines continues to be a success in years to come and pulls people to Auckland is just how the nine-a-side format plays out.

There are some doubters as to whether nine-a-side rugby league will be the exciting spectacle that it is being marketed as but only time will tell on that front.

This has to be a whine up and has no place in NZ media. There's many events happening in Wellington at this time of the year and the fact that the NRL is in Auckland has no issues at all. Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton and Dunedin bit for the IRB 7's and loss out to Wellington again but there is a huge demands in NZ cities for events like the IRB 7's or NRL 9's and thanks to the Wellington 7's organizers and party hemisphere for that.

This has to be a whine up and has no place in NZ media. There's many events happening in Wellington at this time of the year and the fact that the NRL is in Auckland has no issues at all. Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton and Dunedin bit for the IRB 7's and loss out to Wellington again but there is a huge demands in NZ cities for events like the IRB 7's or NRL 9's and thanks to the Wellington 7's organizers and party hemisphere for that.

Wellington seem to be very good supporters. They turn up in huge numbers to most events from different codes.

Good for them. Being one-eyed gets you nowhere when it comes to bringing big events to your city.